PROBLEM AND OBJECTIVES: The young children of severely emotionally disturbed mothers are at "high risk" for the development of psychopathology. That statement is true regardless of whether one ascribes to genetic, psychogenic, sociogenic, or early neglect etiological models for vulnerability to psychopathology in children. The population of young children of disturbed mothers in an inner-city, poverty area may be even more vulnerable and certainly are amongst the most neglected populations in mental health service delivery. We propose to systematically develop, evaluate, and compare three systems-based models of preventive intervention: 1) linking families to community and social services, 2) training mothers in parenting, communication, and problem solving skills, and 3) facilitating the development of competence in the young children. The intervention are aimed at reducing the probability of future need for mental health services in these children and facilitating their optimal development. METHODOLOGY: Pre-, post-, and follow-up assessments will be conducted on mothers who are diagnosed as schizophrenic or psychotic depressed and their younger-than-five-year-old children who are randomly assigned to intervention groups. A no-intervention and well-mothers group will be used to evaluate the effect of intervention on the children of disturbed mothers. The major dependent variables measure characteristics of the mother, the child, the mother-child relationship, the home-rearing environment, and the relationship between the family and the larger social environment. SIGNIFICANCE: Information on the most effective model of intervention will help to guide future intervention planning for this and similar populations. Further information will be gained as to the nature and process of impact of disturbed mothers on their young children.